Contributions

Ultrasound is a cost-effective, readily available, and non-ionizing modality for musculoskeletal imaging. Though some research groups have pursued methods that involve submerging the transducer and imaged body segment into a water bath, many limitations remain in regards to acquiring an unloaded volumetric image of an entire human limb in a fast, safe, and adequately accurate manner.

An ultrasound-based blood pressure estimation algorithm was developed as an alternative to the traditional oscillometric cuff, arterial catheter, or an auscultatory cuff. The method utilizes ultrasound image data of the carotid artery coupled with force measurements to estimate the blood pressure of an individual using a novel algorithm. The algorithm implements a deformation model to output an estimate of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, arterial stiffness, and surrounding tissue stiffness. Systolic pressure and diastolic pressure can be estimated in real-time and by the subject.